harmful

Definition

Causing or likely to cause harm or damage; injurious.

Etymology

From Middle English harmful, from Old English *hearmful (suggested by hearmfullīċ (“harmful; hurtful”)), equivalent to harm + -ful. Cognate with German harmvoll, Danish harmfuld, Swedish harmfull.

Example Sentences

• "Wear a hat to protect your skin from harmful sunlight."
• "Smoking is harmful to the lungs."
• "Burning fossil fuels is harmful to the environment."

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